Coriolus versicolor, also known as Agaricus versicolor, Boletus versicolor, Polyporus versicolor, Polystictus versicolor, Poria versicolor, Trametes versicolor, Yun-Zhi (Chinese), Kawaratake (Japanese), and “turkey tail” (North America), belongs to the Basidiomycetes class and Polyporaceae family. It is widely distributed throughout the world, where more than 120 different strains have been identified in the wooded temperate zones of Asia, Europe, and North America.
The medicinal value of C. versicolor was first recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica (Compendium Medica) by Li Shi Zhen during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644AD) in China. According to Compendium Medica, C. versicolor (Yun-Zhi), if consumed regularly, can invigorate vital energy, maintain one's optimal weight, promote longevity, and avoid unnecessary aging. C. versicolor is also believed to have protective effects on liver and spleen function, and has been used in the treatment of a variety of symptoms associated with liver dysfunction and respiratory tract infection. In China and Japan, C. versicolor is dried, ground, and made into tea. C. versicolor has not been reported to have toxic effects in long-term uses.
It is reported that C. versicolor has immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antimicrobial and antiviral effects. These pharmacological effects may be largely produced by polysaccharide-peptides (PSP) such as polysaccharide Krestin (PSK).
While C. versicolor has a long history of empiric uses, there is still limited knowledge about the precise mechanism by which it exerts its pharmacological action. In addition, many biologically-active chemical constituents of C. versicolor have not been identified. A need exists for the development of more efficient and convenient extraction protocols for scaling-up the production of C. versicolor extracts and for the identification of its biologically-active chemical constituents for therapeutic uses.